


Tomorrow is Today

by politics_and_prose



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: F/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-01
Updated: 2016-08-06
Packaged: 2018-07-28 14:31:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 11,593
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7644643
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/politics_and_prose/pseuds/politics_and_prose
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Never walk alone at night. Her stepfather always said it to her but she never really paid attention.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Emeli_Thorne](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Emeli_Thorne/gifts).



_Never walk alone at night_. Her stepfather always said it to her but she never really paid attention. Or, well, she didn’t pay attention after she turned sixteen and left for college. At school she usually had someone with her but that was more because she was young and away from home than because she thought she needed someone. Plus she’d been told she needed to make “real friends”, whatever that meant.

After graduation – early and with a Masters, thank you very much – she headed back to her second home, Starling City. Her stepfather was a police detective and had been telling her over the years how woefully behind the department was in terms of equipment and cyber “hoosy-whatsits”. It had been an easy choice to return home and help out the SCPD as much as she could.

The upgrade took about six months, most of which was the department lobbying for more funds from the Mayor and the Legislature. When it all finally came in, it took Felicity and Curtis, a recent graduate from Cal Tech and someone she should hate but really loved, a scant few weeks to get it all up and running.

After the upgrades were unveiled and the SCPD started using their systems in a much more advantageous way, both Felicity and Curtis were recruited to leave the department and work for a major company. Curtis went to Queen Consolidated to work in their R&D Department and Felicity headed to Merlyn Global for a position in the IT Department. She didn’t love it – Tommy Merlyn had a few fetishes she wished she never had to clear from his hard drive – but it was a job.

Less than a year later, the head of the Cyber Crimes Division of the SCPD called her and asked if she would be interested in a civilian position within the department. Without even needing to think about it, Felicity agreed and put in her two weeks notice with Merlyn Global.

Ten minutes after her resignation became official, Tommy Merlyn asked her on a date. He was cute, stuttering and telling her he didn’t really like all those things he got stuck on his computer screen. He told her he tried to think of things to make his computer crash so she would have to fix it. It shouldn’t have been charming but it was.

After a few months, Tommy showed up on her doorstep looking like he’d seen a ghost. The words spilled out of him in a rush. _Oliver is alive and he’s coming home and I don’t know what to say to him please help me come up with something to say when I see him at the family dinner next week and will you please come with me and stop me from saying stupid things?_

She’d agreed and gone with him to what could charitably be considered an insanely awkward meal with people she didn’t know in which the prodigal son called out his mother’s husband for wanting to sleep with her. It was strange and tense and she’d wished she could have been anywhere else but there. Preferably with anyone else but the people she’d been with. Except Tommy. She would likely go anywhere for him. Case in point, that dinner.

Their relationship grew stronger from there and it had her thinking that he could be _The One_. He was charming, funny and treated her so well it made her second guess her relationship with Cooper in college. It scared her, the depth of her feelings for him, but she was quite willing to face her fears if it meant she got to see his smile every day.

After a long day at the precinct, Felicity was heading over to Tommy’s to spend the night. She’d walked since the cool breeze made the late spring night feel like heaven on earth. It wasn’t raining for the first time in forever and she’d promised she’d be careful.

When Quentin and Tommy got on her case about being careful a few months ago she’d been annoyed. She was a grown woman who could handle herself. And then some masked man with a bow and arrow and a penchant for killing showed up and she was more careful to heed their advice. She’d never encountered the person the media labeled The Hood and she didn’t want to. He was a murderer, first and foremost, and if she was face to face with him, she knew it would be unlikely that she would walk away in one piece.

Or walk away at all.

“You shouldn’t be walking through this neighborhood alone at night.”

The voice was deep, growling, and Felicity cursed herself for being such a jinx. Of _course_ he would show up just as she was thinking about how much she absolutely did not ever want to meet him.

She turned, her hands clenched into fists by her side to keep them from shaking. “I was – I’m going to my boyfriend’s place. He’s just – he’s not too far.”

“A lot can happen in the shadows.” He was cryptic and scary and she hated herself for feeling drawn to him. “You should get a cab.”

That comment made her laugh. “On a city salary? I’m lucky I could afford _shoes_ sturdy enough to walk in. Honestly, it’s kind of ridiculous. I gave up a lucrative career at one of the country’s leading tech companies to help keep this city safe and what does it get me? Ramen Noodles twice a week. Sometimes only once because I’m a terrible cook and my boyfriend takes pity on me and … you don’t want to hear about this. I’m sorry. Are you – is there something you … am I about to be arrowed?”

“Have you done something I don’t know about?” he asked and she thought his voice held a bit of humor.

“I’m sure I’ve done a lot of things you don’t know about,” Felicity replied without thinking. After a second, she corrected, “Not illegal things. Never illegal things. But I’m sure you didn’t know I went to the market this morning. And if you did I would start to think you might be stalking me even though this is the first time I’ve ever seen you in person before. But you could have been following me around without me knowing it because you’re kind of sneaky.”

“Felicity.”

The sound of her name cut her off and her eyes snapped to where she assumed his would be under his hood. “How do you know my name?”

The Hood tensed up but didn’t answer her and Felicity found herself stepping closer. She had no idea who this person was but he called her by name and it kind of freaked her out. “Don’t come closer,” he warned instead of answering her question.

“Why?” she asked boldly. “Afraid I’ll find out who you are?”

He opened his mouth, likely to respond, when his hand flew to his ear and he went still. “Get a cab and get home,” he told her before turning and running in the opposite direction. She heard an engine rev and then tires squeal and she assumed it was The Hood. She supposed it made sense that he rode a motorcycle; he would likely look silly driving a Honda.

Shaking her head, Felicity continued walking for about a block and a half before deciding to take the advice of The Hood and hail a cab. At the very least, it got her back to Tommy sooner.

“Hey,” he called out as soon as she stepped into his apartment. “I expected you a little earlier. Get hung up at work?”

“No,” she replied as she toed off her shoes and moved further into the apartment, greeting him beside the couch with a kiss. “Just got stopped along the way and then grabbed a cab.”

“Stopped by who?” Tommy asked curiously as he retreated back into the kitchen.

She followed, shrugging. “Some stranger. It was weird. He told me I shouldn’t be walking through that neighborhood alone at night and then took off. I mean, he suggested the cab and stuff too. It was so strange.” She stopped and considered telling him the other part. Since they both wanted to try to be as honest as they could, she added, “He knew my name.”

“Some random stranger knew your name?” he asked, glancing up at her while still stirring what she assumed was pasta sauce.

“Well, uh, maybe the stranger wasn’t completely random? I mean, I don’t know him but I have no idea how he knew my name either. He did, though. And when I asked him how he didn’t answer me. It was kind of surreal, you know?”

Tommy furrowed his brows and checked the sauce quickly before turning it off and heading in her direction. He swiped the towel off his shoulders and wiped his hands, stopping in front of her and tilting his head. “Felicity, who was it?”

Honestly, she was beginning to wonder if she should have kept this whole thing to herself. While her stepfather and boyfriend didn’t always see eye to eye, she knew if she told Tommy about The Hood that he would insist she tell Quentin about it or he would do it himself. And her stepfather was _not_ a fan of The Hood.

Now wasn’t the time to keep secrets, though, and she knew she would feel really guilty if she did. With a sigh and a shrug, she looked away to gather her courage before meeting her boyfriend’s eyes. “The Hood.”

It was like all of the air was knocked out of him. Tommy pitched forward as if there had been a physical blow to his back, eyes wide and fearful. His hands landed on her upper arms and slid downwards first before moving up to her shoulders, neck and cheeks. “Are you okay?” he asked, his voice nearly shaking. “Did he hurt you?”

Felicity was so shocked at Tommy’s behavior that she couldn’t respond right away. She’d seen him scared before – she’d had an allergic reaction to some wings they were told were made in canola oil but were actually fried in peanut oil – but she’d never seen this face before. He was holding her cheeks firmly but gently and he was staring into her eyes with an intensity that made her want to shift her feet. “No,” she finally answered as she noticed the fear intensifying. “No, he didn’t touch me. And I asked if he was going to arrow me and he made a joke. Or I think it was. His voice was growly and stuff so I couldn’t really tell. But I think it was a joke.” Tommy didn’t look convinced so Felicity brought her hands up and covered his on her face before looking straight into his eyes. “He didn’t touch me, Tommy. I think he was just looking out for me.”

“Why would he do that?” he asked and all Felicity could do was shrug and shake her head slightly. “God,” he breathed, pulling her in and holding her tightly. “Please don’t – please don’t walk alone at night anymore. Either drive or let me have Hank pick you up. _Please_.”

Felicity hated so much that the men in her life thought she couldn’t protect herself but even she could admit that her run-in with The Hood shook her up. “Okay,” she agreed easier than she would have under any other circumstances. “I promise.”

His desperate grip loosened a bit and he inhaled deeply. Felicity could feel him slowly begin to relax and she was thankful for that. She knew Tommy loved her, he’d told her a few weeks before, but there was something about his fear that hammered the sentiment home. The kiss he pressed to her lips after sealed the deal. He really did love her and it was such an amazing feeling that she couldn’t hold back the words that slipped easily from her lips. “I love you.”

Tommy’s smile was beautiful and Felicity couldn’t help but return it. “I love you too,” he murmured before pressing his lips to hers.

The kiss started out slow, sweet, and quickly turned heated and slightly desperate. His hands moved to the small of her back then lower, clutching her and holding her tightly against his body. “Dinner,” she murmured half-heartedly against his lips when they lifted from hers.

“It can wait,” he replied breathlessly before lifting her and carrying her back to the bedroom. As he laid her on the bed and pretty much worshiped her body, she absently sent a mental _thank you_ to The Hood.

It took a few days before her family found out about The Hood and her stepsister decided she was going to go on a crusade to bring him in. It didn’t help that Quentin agreed with her.

“Come on, really?” she asked as she stood on one side of her desk, Laurel and Quentin on the other. “He didn’t hurt me. He didn’t even _touch_ me.”

“Yeah, _you_ ,” Laurel shot back, her arms crossed and posture rigid. “Do you know how many people he’s killed before that? How many after?”

Sighing, Felicity shook her head. “I try not to look. All I know is that he could have hurt me and he didn’t. He told me to get a cab, for goodness sakes! Maybe the people he’s had to, _you know_ … maybe there’s a reason.”

“Don’t ever let anyone else in this building hear you talk like that,” Quentin growled. “The man is a menace and a murderer. He needs to be brought in or put down.”

Clenching her jaw, Felicity made eye contact with her stepfather and replied harshly, “Don’t let anyone on this side of this desk hear you say that ever again.” Lifting a few random files, she lifted her head and stubbornly set her jaw. “I have a meeting. If you’ll excuse me.” Without waiting for an answer, she pushed her way out of her office and headed down the hall. She didn’t have any destination in mind but she didn’t care; she just needed to get away from Quentin and Laurel.

“Ridiculous,” she murmured, her head buried in the file she had on the top of her pile. Felicity was well-versed in the art of looking busy. “Sure, maybe the guy is a killer but he’s killing the _bad_ guys so it’s not like – _oof_.”

Finding herself on the floor, Felicity shook her head both to clear it and to get her hair out of her eyes. She glanced to her left and right before looking up to see a hand in her line of vision. Gathering her files under one arm, she took the proffered hand and let the person pull her up. “I’m sorry. I was … Oliver?”

“Hey, Felicity,” the man in question chuckled. His eyes grew serious for a moment. “Are you okay?” When she nodded and answered in the affirmative, he let his easy smile fall back in place. “You looked deep in thought. Difficult case?”

“What?” she asked in confusion. He nodded towards her hand and she laughed, shaking her head. “No. This is just … an excuse, I guess. I was getting double-teamed in my office and needed a break. Family, you know? Speaking of, how are your mother and Thea doing? I heard about Mr. Steele. Well,” she continued, “everyone has since it’s been all over the news but … you know what? I’m going to stop rambling and let you answer.”

The corner of his mouth ticked up and he inclined his head slightly. “They’re managing. I’ll let them know you asked after them. I’m sure it’ll be met with another invite for you and Tommy to come over for dinner though.”

“Just let me know when and I’ll talk to Tommy. Or you can talk to Tommy,” she added quickly, “since he’s your best friend. Sorry. I’m totally not trying to take over your friendship with my boyfriend.”

“Felicity, it’s okay. I knew what you meant,” he grinned.

“Good. So …” Felicity turned and looked over her shoulder before looking back at him. “Are you here to see someone in particular or are you just browsing the merchandise?”

Laughing, Oliver shook his head. “Detective Hall. McKenna Hall.” She arched a brow and he ducked his head, which made her smile. “Can you point me in the right direction?”

“Second right will take you to her unit,” she answered, biting her lip after so she didn’t smile too widely. McKenna was a million times better than the psychopath with mob ties he’d dated a month or so before. “Might have to dodge Quentin on your way though. He’s kinda in a mood too. Maybe you should take the long way around.”

“I’ll be okay,” he grinned, winking at her before placing a hand on her shoulder briefly and then moving in the direction she told him. She watched him go until he disappeared from sight and then quickly made her way back to her – thankfully empty – office. Grabbing her cell phone, she tapped out a quick message to Tommy and then sat back in her seat and smiled. After all Oliver had been through, he definitely deserved to be happy.

Their first double date started out as a complete disaster. She and McKenna got a long just fine but Tommy was acting weird and Oliver spent most of the evening either laughing at his best friend or distracted by his phone. She had half a mind to take it from him but every time she opened her mouth, he put it away.

“So how long have you two been together?” McKenna asked after they ordered their entrees.

“What? We’re not!” Tommy answered, eyes wide. “Wait. What?”

Felicity furrowed her brow and reached out to put her hand on Tommy’s shoulder. “Are you okay, honey?” she asked softly. “You’re acting kind of …”

“Neurotic,” Oliver snorted from the other side of the table.

She twisted her head to glare at him. “Not helping, Oliver,” she bit out before turning back to Tommy. “You don’t look too good. Maybe we should call it a night and do this again next week.”

“Yeah, Tommy,” Oliver goaded, “maybe we should wait and not do this tonight.”

Tommy’s eyes widened and she could tell that his nerves were building up again. She pressed her hands to his cheeks and met his eyes. “Tommy, honey, what’s going on? What’s wrong? I’m really starting to get nervous here.”

“No, don’t be,” he choked out after a few tense seconds. “It’s okay. I’m just …” He waved his hands around in some kind of erratic motion that she supposed he thought would calm her. It didn’t. Her face must have shown that so he took a deep breath and offered her a shaky smile. “Sorry. It’s – I’m okay. Really. I’m good.”

She didn’t believe him but he steadied himself and held her hand on his thigh so she let it pass. “It’s been, what, nine months now? Almost ten, right?”

She could tell that Tommy was going to say something else, probably the exact length of their relationship or something silly like that, but instead he nodded and smiled at her. “Yeah, just about ten months.”

“You two are disgustingly adorable,” McKenna groused with a light chuckle. She opened her mouth again but shut it quickly and shot a glare at Oliver before turning back to her and Tommy. “How did you meet?”

“Ah, I can answer that one,” Tommy responded. It seemed like he’d relaxed and she was grateful. For a second, she’d been worried there was something he wasn’t telling her in reference to either Oliver or McKenna or both. With the teasing, light smile now on his lips, she let herself dismiss her unease. “Felicity worked at my family’s company and the first time I saw her, I knew I needed to meet her. The trouble was, every time I got up the nerve to talk to her, someone else was there and I chickened out. Eventually I decided to crash my computer – she’s a computer tech genius, by the way, in case Ollie didn’t tell you – and then ask that she be the one to help me out. She did and I fell harder for her and once she left the company I was forced to do something about it or likely never see her again. We’ve been together since.”

“He’s leaving out the part where he brought up a bunch of seriously disturbing porn fetishes to overload and crash his computer. I thought he was the biggest creep,” Felicity laughed. “I love that he does things like that, though. Goes to the extremes and just charms me in a way I’ve never been charmed before.” She caught Oliver and Tommy sharing a look but she ignored it, turning to kiss Tommy quickly.

Dinner came along after that and the conversation flowed well. She learned that McKenna had gone to the same high school Tommy and Oliver had gone to and had always wanted to be a cop. “Your stepdad’s a hard ass but he’s easily the best detective I’ve ever seen.”

Tommy snorted and all eyes turned to him. “Sorry, just … saying Detective Lance is a hard ass is just the biggest understatement ever. Ollie remembers from when he dated Laurel. All six hundred and thirty times.”

“It’s true,” Felicity laughed. “I wasn’t around for most of it because I was in Boston but I’ve heard plenty of stories. Most of them I didn’t ask for and wish I’d never heard, to be honest.” Oliver was staring at her with wide, disbelieving eyes and it took her a second before she snapped back to reality. “Sorry! Right. But it’s – they’re way over. Laurel’s dating some boxer that my stepdad hates more than Tommy. It’s a total win-win. For me. And Tommy.”

“He doesn’t hate me that much anymore,” Tommy disagreed with an easy smile as he slipped his arm around her shoulders. “I’m the favorite boyfriend.”

“To be fair, you probably would have been the favorite if Laurel was dating Oliver again too. I’m just the stepkid; he hates a little less when it comes to me.”

“Not true,” Tommy denied. “He _really_ hated Cooper.”

Felicity had to nod in agreement but silently thought that Quentin only hated Cooper because he tried to _lure her into a life of cyber crime_ or something. Cooper would crap himself if he knew she was working with the police these days.

The waitress returned and collected their plates, asking if they wanted dessert. She was about to beg off and claim she couldn’t possibly eat anymore when Tommy ordered tiramisu for the table. Oliver snorted and McKenna arched a brow but Tommy kept his face neutral and Felicity had to wonder for the hundredth time that evening what was going on with her boyfriend.

“I need to go to the bathroom. Felicity?”

She looked up at shock in McKenna, who definitely didn’t seem like the “travel in packs to the restroom” type but she shrugged and stood. “Sure. Always good to wash your hands before dessert,” she said lamely. Tommy smiled up at her and Oliver wiggled his eyebrows and she shot them both looks before following her new friend to the ladies’ room.

“So tonight’s been pretty fun,” McKenna said as she stepped up to the sinks. It made Felicity pause because she thought McKenna had to, you know, used the restroom. “We should all go out again sometime.”

“We should,” Felicity agreed as she washed her hands as well. “But, just a warning, the boys will probably want us to go to the club with them. On occasion, they like to perch up in the VIP area and survey their kingdom. It’s actually pretty hilarious. And I bet you would have fun giving the floozies who try to throw themselves at the guys a death glare. It’s one of my favorite games when I’m forced to listen to loud music and smell stale alcohol for hours on end.” She paused. “That doesn’t make it sound very appealing, does it?”

“Not really,” McKenna laughed, “but that’s okay. You’re right: I do enjoy giving a nice death glare now and again.”

They finished up and headed back to the table just in time to see Oliver move from her seat back to his own. “Hope we’re not interrupting something,” she teased, sitting back down and leaning over to press a light kiss against Tommy’s cheek. He laughed, which was kind of unusual but she let it go. Hopefully when they got home she would be able to get him to tell her what was really going on.

The dessert arrived and it looked so delicious that Felicity didn’t care how full she was. She would likely be naked later anyway so the thought of restricting elastic around her waist didn’t deter her from digging in. She and McKenna took a bite at the same time and then moaned at the same time before chuckling. Tommy smiled at her and kissed her cheek before all of them turned back to their own desserts.

After a few minutes of comfortable quiet while they all enjoyed their tiramisu, she felt the table move and looked over to see Oliver glaring at Tommy and Tommy glaring right back. She wanted to keep the peace and not start anything but they were making it too hard.

Just as she opened her mouth to demand answers, Tommy turned to her with bright eyes and a small smile and whatever she had to say melted away. This was the first time he resembled himself all night and she wanted to hold onto it. He looked so happy that she couldn’t stop herself from smiling right along with him. “There’s the smile I’ve been missing all night,” she whispered before leaning in and pressing her lips against his lightly. “Got everything worked out up there?” she asked as she lightly ran her fingers over his temple before pulling back and sitting up. She and Tommy weren’t usually PDA people and she didn’t want to make Oliver and McKenna uncomfortable.

“Almost,” he agreed. “Just one more thing I’ve got on my mind.”

“Oh?” she asked, her own smile involuntarily widening as his did. “What’s that?”

Tommy glanced over at Oliver and McKenna from the corner of his eye and then took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I love you very much.” Before she could reply, he pushed back slightly and took both of her hands in his. “More than anyone I’ve ever loved before. These past nine months and twenty four days,” he paused to grin and give her a wink, “have been amazing. I’ve never been happier and I don’t want that feeling to end. In fact, there’s only one thing right now that could make me happier than I am now.”

“Wh-what’s that?” she asked, her heart pounding as Tommy pushed back further and let go of her right hand, sliding to the floor onto one knee.

He smiled and reached into his pocket, pulling out a small black box and flipping it open. “Well … hopefully your answer to this question –“

“Yes!” she cried, her hands shaking and tears forming. “Yes.”

“So you’ll split a Bloomin’ Onion with me next time we go to Outback?”

“Tommy!”

Chuckling, he shook his head. “Let me ask the question, Felicity. It took me, like, a really long time …”

“A _really_ long time,” Oliver interjected from across the table. She and Tommy both turned to look at him and he held up his hands. “Sorry. Just, you know, saying.”

“ _Anyway_. It took me a long time to get up the courage to ask you so can I, you know, ask?”

“Of course,” Felicity responded softly. “Of course you can.”

“Felicity Smoak,” Tommy smiled, the ring now poised at the tip of her finger, “will you marry me?”

She paused for a second and pretended to consider it before smiling widely and nodded quickly. “Yes. Yes, of course I’ll marry you.”

Oliver and McKenna started the applause and soon the entire restaurant joined in. There were hugs and kisses and a bottle of champagne on the house but everything was really a blur. She wanted to call Laurel and her mother and Curtis but she also just wanted to go home with Tommy and celebrate privately.

The rest of the evening was a blur until she and Tommy got back to his place. Then everything was slow. She took in every sight and sound and sensation and she was so happy that she would get to have that feeling for the rest of her life.

Her family was happy for her, even Quentin, and Mr. Merlyn didn’t immediately disown Tommy so she took that as approval too. They didn’t start making plans immediately, despite her mother being ready ten minutes after the announcement, but they informed their families that they weren’t looking for a long engagement. The promise of _next spring_ hung in the air and she was happy with that.

A week later, everything changed. It was late when she was finally able to leave the precinct. A child pornography ring had been discovered and she got the case three days ago. Tonight, all of the data SCPD needed came back and she’d been manning the phones while the unit made fifteen arrests. Of course, with the good work they did came with the paperwork no one else wanted. It took until two in the morning but when she finally wrapped up what she couldn’t leave until the next day, she grabbed her jacket and purse and headed out, intent on heading home to Tommy.

Her mind was going over the list of amenities that they were looking for in a place of their own as she walked to her car. It was dark and cloudy, the typical evening for Starling, and she didn’t notice anything strange when she approached her car. Maybe it was the thought of a huge kitchen where she and Tommy would learn to cook together or maybe it was the idea of getting three bedrooms in their place so one could later be for a new member of the family, but she didn’t realize she was alone until it was too late.

A heavy hand landed on the hood of her car and she whirled around to see The Hood. He looked like he was in pain and when he grit his teeth and brought his other hand down for balance, she knew she was right.

“Oh my god,” she cried. “I – what – uhm …”

“Felicity,” he ground out, his voice tight and showing his obvious distress.

Without thinking, she asked again, “How do you know my name?” Moved towards him as she asked, her hands reaching for the dark spot that was blossoming on his chest.

“Because you know my name,” he groaned as he tossed his head to throw his hood back.

“O-Oliver. What – oh my god. Oliver, you’re – does – what …?”

“I need your help.”

“I’ll call an ambulance right away,” she swore, shaking hands digging into her suddenly too big purse.”

“No,” he rejected, his hand moving to still hers. “No. You need to take me to my father’s old factory in the Glades.”

She didn’t get a chance to ask him why as he suddenly pitched forward and landed against her body. The air was knocked from her lungs but she held him as tightly as she could. When he whispered a broken “please” she knew she would do whatever he wanted. It didn’t make any sense to her but she knew there was no way she could let her fiancé’s best friend die, Hood or no Hood.

 

 

 


	2. Chapter Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided when I got about half through this chapter that it's going to take another one before I can finish it out so now there will be one more chapter to follow. Thanks so much for reading!

“Does he know?” she asked Oliver’s partner, John Diggle, after they got Oliver on the table and hooked up to what looked like hospital grade machinery. “John, does Tommy know?”

“About this?” he asked, waving a hand absently at their set up. She rolled her eyes and he must have realized she wasn’t in the mood for his stalling. “No. Oliver hasn’t told him. Hasn’t told anyone but you and me and Helena.”

“The _psycho_ knows and his best friend doesn’t? That’s some pretty intense pillow talk,” she muttered as she reached for her phone. “I’m supposed to be home by now. What am I supposed to tell Tommy?”

John gave her an appraising look. “Anything but the truth.”

It didn’t sit well with her, not one bit. She and Tommy didn’t keep secrets and didn’t lie to each other. Well, not about important things like this. And now a man she didn’t know was instructing her to lie to Tommy about Oliver being The Hood? The thought made her stomach roll and she had to brace herself against the table for a moment. “I can’t.”

“Felicity, you have to. This isn’t your secret to tell. It’s not mine either.”

“Yeah well you have an excuse! You’re his bodyguard. You can tell whoever it is you go home to at night that your boss is working late at his club. _My_ significant other took a _night off_ so we could relax and maybe do a little wedding planning. Totally not the same situations, Mr. Diggle.”

“John or Digg,” he corrected and she rolled her eyes again. “Listen, Felicity, I don’t like it either. I think it’s going to be hard as hell to keep this secret but it’s not my choice. Oliver trusted you enough to tell you the truth and you should respect that decision.” He paused. “And give him hell when he wakes up.” She turned her back on John and pulled out her cell phone, typing out a quick text to Tommy that she got held up and didn’t know what time she would be home. He was disappointed but said he understood and told her to make as much noise as she wanted when she got in.

She didn’t deserve him, not at the moment, but she just texted back a quick _I love you_ and put her phone in her purse. Instead of turning her attention back to Mr. Diggle, she wandered around their space, her nose wrinkling in disgust. “It’s a wonder you get anything done with this medieval set up. God, I think I’m having heart palpitations.”

“What’re you going to do about it?” John asked curiously. He didn’t sound aggressive or rude, just interested.

“Nothing,” she replied easily. “Aside from maybe tell Oliver if he really wants to make a difference, he should get someone who knows their way around some tech. This isn’t 1980.”

“Maybe he’s already found someone,” he responded, eyebrows arching.

“I hope you don’t mean me,” Felicity shot back, head shaking. “No way. Once I make sure he’s not dead or dying, I’m going home to Tommy – his in-the-dark best friend – and forgetting tonight ever happened. This? Not my cup of tea.”

“You work cyber crimes at SCPD. I think it’s definitely your cup of tea.”

“I work _cyber crimes_ ,” she emphasized, “not … whatever it is you’re doing. You’re not hacking or looking at child pornography, I hope, and that’s what I do. Not – I don’t look at child pornography but I find people who do and I help the officers bring them down. But I’m sure you knew that,” she rambled, “so I really didn’t have to –“

She was cut off by a series of frantic beeps before one long, loud one and John was jumping into action, running towards Oliver. She followed quickly behind not knowing what she should do. John told her to start compressions and she did, pumping his heart for him while John set up the … shock machine. Whatever it was. Her mind couldn’t put words together while she was apparently keeping a man alive.

She heard the charge just before John barked, “ _Clear!_ ” and she stepped away but nothing happened. He started muttering to himself but Felicity knew what was wrong. “I heard the charge. Probably a loose wire,” she told him frantically, hastily moving to the machine and fixing the problem. “There, go again!”

He did and she had to do compressions before he shocked Oliver once more. Felicity held her breath as the steady beep turned into a series and John told her it was back to normal. “How’d you know how to do that?”

She shrugged. “I’ve been building computers since I was seven. It’s just wires.”

They fell into a comfortable silence as they waited for Oliver to wake up. She wanted to go home but she knew she couldn’t. Not until her fiancé’s vigilante best friend woke up and she was sure he wasn’t going to die, at least.

It took another two and a half hours before Oliver was groaning and trying to sit up. She told him he was stubborn and pushed him back down but he wasn’t having it and had John help him into a seated position. “So I guess I didn’t die again.” She narrowed her eyes at him and he gave her what could charitably be considered a cheeky grin. Probably thanks to whatever John put in his IV. “Cool.”

Crossing her arms, she marched over to her purse and slung it over her arm. If he was able to act like this, she didn’t need to stick around any longer. “I’m going home,” she declared, marching past the two of them and towards the stairs.

“Felicity,” Oliver called and she wanted so badly to ignore him and keep going but she didn’t. She stopped and turned to him, her left eyebrow arching. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” she said with a nod before turning back towards the stairs. She stopped herself from stepping forward, though, and instead turned and walked back over to him. She wrapped her arms around his chest and hugged him gently. “I’m glad you’re alive.” She stayed that way for a minute before standing back up and meeting his eyes. “I don’t know what’s going on and I don’t – it’s not something I need to know. But I’m going to tell you something and I’m completely serious. Are we clear on that?” Oliver’s brows furrowed but he nodded. “Good.” She paused for a moment to make sure she had his full attention before stating, “Either you tell Tommy about this or I will.”

Immediately, he protested. “Felicity, I can’t just …”

“I’m not going to lie to him,” she cut Oliver off, “and you shouldn’t either. He’s your _best friend_.”

“And he’ll hate me for this. _Hate me_ , Felicity. Do you not get that?”

“I think you’re underestimating him,” she replied after a few long beats. “I think if you talked to him about it, he’d be more understanding than you’re allowing yourself to believe.” She licked her lips and took a couple of steps back. Inhaling deeply, she glanced at John before returning her gaze to Oliver. “You have twenty four hours or I’m telling him. I won’t tell anyone else,” she assured him, “but I’m not going to keep this from Tommy.”

Oliver was silent for a beat too long so she shook her head and made her way towards the stairs. “I’ll tell him myself on one condition,” he finally called after her. She turned to look at him and something made her want to smack the smug look right off his face. “I’ll tell him myself if you’re in.”

“If I’m in what?” Felicity asked, exasperated.

“This,” he answer, lifting his good arm to gesture at the set up. “If you agree to help, take care of the computer systems like I know you can, then I’ll tell him myself tomorrow.”

She stared at him, eyes narrowed, before she shook her head. “Tell him and then we’ll talk,” she responded with finality before completing her trek up the stairs and out, so thankful that the club had closed down an hour or so before.

When Felicity got back to Tommy’s place it was close to six in the morning. Tommy was still sleeping so Felicity took a moment to shoot a text to her supervisor to say she had a family emergency in the middle of the night and wouldn’t be in until noon before climbing into bed. She figured she could sleep until eleven before rolling out of bed and starting a new day.

“You just getting home?”

She rolled over to see Tommy scooting closer, his eyes still closed. “Yeah,” she whispered. “Go back to sleep. I’m going to go in late today. We’ll talk when we wake up.”

“Mmm. ‘kay. Love you,” he agreed sleepily, pulling her against him and easing back into sleep.

“Love you too,” she murmured before setting an alarm and letting her exhaustion pull her into sleep.

When Felicity woke up, her alarm was blaring and the bed seriously lacking her boyfriend. She groaned and reached out to turn off the alarm, her fingers slipping over a piece of paper before she was able to stop the insufferable beeping. After getting her glasses settled on her nose, she grabbed the piece of paper and saw that Tommy was out to lunch with Oliver.

_Oliver_.

All of a sudden, the memories she’d been able to push aside in her dreams came rushing back to her. Oliver was The Hood and he was likely telling Tommy about that as she read the note. It made her stomach churn and if she had anything in her stomach she probably would have had to run to the restroom before she lost it.

Reminding herself that she couldn’t just lay in bed all day, Felicity got up and made her way into the kitchen to start a fresh pot of coffee before shuffling back to take a shower.

She got to work with a few minutes to spare and let herself get lost in the paperwork resulting from the bust the night before. It definitely took her mind off the fact that Oliver was probably telling Tommy about his nighttime activities. It made her wonder just how desperately he needed or wanted her help. The likelihood of him telling Tommy before last night was slim to none and now he was willing to do it to get her to join up.

Felicity was so lost in her work that she didn’t even notice Tommy coming until her office door was slamming behind her and the shades we drawn. “Tommy, what …?” she asked as she stood from behind her desk.

“Did you know?” he spat, his eyes narrowed. “And don’t ask me _did I know what?_. You know damn well what I’m talking about.”

Sighing, Felicity pointed to the chair across her desk and then sat in her own. “I found out last night when he asked for my help. I had no idea before last night. I haven’t even known for twelve hours,” she swore. “I didn’t.”

He deflated at that, dropping into the seat and running his hand over his face. “I’m sorry. I believe you,” he assured her. “I just … this is all …”

“I know,” she agreed quietly. “It was for me too. But, hey, at least he wasn’t bleeding out when he told you.” The corner of her mouth quirked up in an attempt alleviate some of the heaviness in the room.

“I just … can’t believe he’s … he’s a …”

“Yeah,” she interjected, not wanting to hear Tommy use the word she knew he was thinking of. _Murderer_. It was especially difficult for her to think because now she had to have a serious conversation with Oliver about joining his crusade. And that was something else she needed to tell her fiancé. It would likely make him mad again but they didn’t keep secrets before and she wasn’t about to start now. “Did he say anything else about his … evening activities?”

“Not really,” he sighed, slumping a bit in the chair. “He said that his bodyguard works with him and that he’s trying to fix what his father screwed up. And I get that. I mean, if I could undo all the crap things my dad’s done, I’d do it. But he _kills_ people, Lis. I just don’t think …”

He stopped speaking and Felicity decided she had to tell him about Oliver asking her to join up. “He wants me help,” she informed him quickly. “When he woke up, he asked me to help. I didn’t – I didn’t answer him. Or, well, I did, but I didn’t say yes or no. I said he had to tell you and if he did, he and I could talk about it.”

All of the tension that had eased out of Tommy’s shoulders was back in an instant. “He _what_?”

“Keep your voice down,” she hushed. “He asked me to join up. Help him with, you know, the tech side of it.”

“And you said he had to tell me before you said yes?” he asked, voice tight.

“No, I told him that I would discuss it with him but only after he told you. And frankly, I didn’t expect him to tell you. Even though I, you know, threatened that I would tell you if he didn’t.”

Shaking his head, Tommy crossed his arms and remained silent for a long beat. She knew he was trying to figure out something to say that wouldn’t make it seem like he was trying to control her while still letting her know exactly how he felt about the idea of her joining forces with Oliver. “I really don’t want you to do it,” he said softly, his eyes lifting to meet hers. “I don’t think it’s safe. Or a good idea.”

Felicity licked her lips and didn’t react right away. She had a lot of thoughts that she didn’t have time to sort out before they got into this conversation. She didn’t want to dismiss either of them, Oliver or Tommy, without having a complete and thorough conversation on the offer. “I’m not making a decision right now,” she told him seriously. “I told Oliver if he confessed to you that he and I could talk about it and I’m going to honor that. I’m not saying I’m going to sign on but … but I’m not going to say I won’t. Maybe he has good reasons for what he does. His methods. I’m going to talk to him about it and I might say yes.” She stopped talking and took a deep breath. “Is that a deal breaker?”

“A deal breaker?” he asked in confusion. Taking a breath, she lifted her left hand and wiggled her fingers, the light from the ceiling reflecting off her engagement ring. “Oh, baby, no. No. I’m not …” The words came out in a frantic rush and that made her feel a lot better. “It’s not a deal breaker. I just … I’ll worry. A lot. And I’ll never forgive him if you get hurt because of it.”

Felicity inhaled deeply and stood, making her way around the desk so she could be face to face with Tommy. A small smile touched her lips before she bent and kissed him softly. “Thank you,” she whispered. “I promise I won’t make a decision without talking to you first.”

He nodded, his hands moving to hold hers. “I’m just really worried. We don’t – Ollie doesn’t talk about what happened on the island. Or the yacht. It must have – for him to be doing this, it must have been bad. I don’t want you to … to get hurt by what’s happened to him. Or by what he’s doing now.”

“I know,” she whispered before kissing him lightly. “You and I will talk about it after I talk to Oliver. Deal?”

“Deal,” he agreed with a smiled before pushing himself out of the chair and wrapping her in a hug. “Now,” he breathed as he stepped back, “I need to get to the club for a delivery. Come by tonight?”

“I’ll try,” she agreed with a nod. “It depends on when Oliver wants to talk about, you know.”

Tommy nodded and gave her another quick kiss before reaching out and opening her office door. “I’ll talk to you later. Love you.”

“Love you too,” she replied, watching him go before returning to her seat and turning back to her work. She knew Oliver would get in touch with her when he was ready.

Instead of texting or calling like she expected, she found Oliver leaning against her car when she exited the station at five-thirty. He looked casual at first glance but as she got closer, she could tell his body was taut, as if he was bracing for impact. At that thought, Felicity squinted and let her eyes travel over what skin she could see, making sure Tommy didn’t hit him. She was sure Oliver could have ducked away from it if he did but she wasn’t quite sure he wouldn’t have let Tommy land the punch.

“Fancy meeting you here,” she smiled, forcing her nerves away. “Wasn’t sure when I would hear from you. Tommy said you talked.”

“We did,” he agreed, nodding to the car. “You okay to talk now?”

Felicity bit her lip and thought about telling him she needed to get dinner, preferably a Big Belly Buster, in her before she discussed illegal acts and her possible assistance therein, but instead she just unlocked the doors and tossed the keys to him. “Yeah. Lead the way.”

They were quiet as Oliver navigated the streets and she couldn’t help but smile widely when he stopped at Big Belly. She went to follow him out but he just asked her what she wanted and headed in on his own. Felicity wasn’t sure what to make of that but she was glad for the time alone so she could start formulating the questions she wanted to ask him.

The thing was, she was already leaning towards saying yes if only because she was sure she could convince him to stop killing people. If she did that, maybe the tension she saw in her fiancé would ease away and the two men would be able to put the anger behind them. She knew Tommy wasn’t mad at her and she trusted that he wouldn’t try to stop her if she did decide to join Oliver’s team, but she also knew that things between the two of them would be strained for as long as Oliver continued to be The Hood, for as long as he was dropping bodies.

Oliver’s methods weren’t in sync with what she believed in and she knew she wouldn’t feel bad about telling him no if he said he wasn’t going to change his ways. It was unfair to him, she knew, because he was obviously the team leader and had been since day one but she wasn’t about to compromise her own morality to help a murderer kill bad people.

On the other hand, she really knew nothing about the men Oliver had targeted to date. Maybe they were just as bad. None of their names had ever crossed her desk and their faces certainly weren’t on the Most Wanted wall. In fact, most of the men who fell victim to The Hood were Starling elite, much like Oliver himself. Much like Tommy.

That thought gave her serious pause. At that moment, Felicity knew without a doubt that she needed to get honest answers from Oliver before she further considered helping him with his crusade. If he was killing for selfish or business reasons, she would absolutely not help him. In fact, she would likely call in an anonymous tip and get him off the streets permanently.

Still thinking, she turned to look inside the restaurant and she couldn’t help but smile at the sight of Oliver speaking with John, a little boy held in the bodyguard’s arms. Felicity had no idea that John was married or a father. Her smile faded when she thought about it, though, because that meant John was willing to help Oliver despite the fact that he was a family man. It made her want to talk to him before she gave an answer to Oliver. Nodding to herself, she resolved to do so.

She must have zoned out before the next thing she knew, a big bag was being dropped in her lap and Oliver was climbing back into the car. “Everything okay?” he asked as he held out their drinks for her to take as well.

“Fine,” she agreed with a nod. “Just thinking.”

Oliver nodded as well and started the car, pulling back out onto the road. “I think it would be best if we wait until we’re down in the foundry before you start saying what you’re thinking.” He gave her a grin but she knew it was laced with nerves. She couldn’t blame him, though, because she was probably just as nervous as he was.

“I agree,” she said, her eyes drifting over the crowds on the sidewalks. “Well, mostly. I do have a question I want to ask first.” At Oliver’s nod, she asked, “Was that John’s son?”

“Nephew,” he informed her with a shake of his head. “His brother’s widow’s son. Carly. His sister-in-law. But, uh, Digg’s …”

“Interested?” she asked with a quirk of her lips.

“To say the least,” Oliver agreed. “And, I don’t know, it might not be the best idea for either of them.”

“Why not?” Felicity asked curiously. “I mean, is it because what you do is dangerous? Because if it is, I’ll remind you that you have a girlfriend.”

“Trust me, I’ve thought of that, but no. I don’t think it’s a good idea because it’s his brother’s wife. I don’t know if he’s interested for the right reasons. But we don’t talk about that, me and him. We’re mostly business. It’s easier that way.”

Felicity nodded and filed that away to be digested at a later date. They were quiet as they approached Verdant and she wondered if he was going to lead her through when there were employees milling around, getting ready for the night ahead. She noticed Tommy’s car and frowned slightly when Oliver parked right next to it. If her fiancé came out and saw her car, he would wonder where she was and she didn’t know if Tommy knew where Oliver’s base of operations was. Probably not since he didn’t mention it to her.

They headed towards the back entrance, Oliver, pulling out a key and unlocking it – and _boy_ did he need her help – before he led her down the stairs into his secret lair.

It didn’t look much different than the last time she was there. In fact, the only major change was that his unconscious body wasn’t lying on the metal table in front of them.

“Uh … can we _not_ eat _there_?” she asked, nodding at the object on her mind. “I mean, I’m sure someone disinfected it and everything but I’d rather not …”

“I have a table over there we can use,” he chuckled, leading her to the spot. They set up the food in silence before sitting down. “Okay. We can talk while we eat or we can wait until we’re done. It’s up to you.” He paused and took a pull from the straw in his milkshake. “But I want you to know that I’ll be as honest as I can. There are some things I can’t talk about but I’ll answer what I can.”

Nodding, Felicity pulled the lid from her milkshake and placed it to the side before grabbing a fry and scooping it through the chocolate ice cream. “I think we can talk and eat at the same time,” she answered. “So, my first question, where did you learn archery?”

“On the island,” he answered easily.

“Someone taught you how to use a bow and arrow on a deserted island? Oliver, that …”

“I wasn’t always alone. And that’s all I’m going to say about that right now,” he added quickly and insistently.

“Okay,” she agreed slowly. “Moving on. How many people know about this whole thing? About you being The Hood?”

He pursed his lips and she wondered if he was counting or considering. “Three,” he answered after a long beat. “John, you and now Tommy.”

That kind of surprised Felicity. “McKenna doesn’t know?” Without giving him a chance to answer, she rolled her eyes at herself. “Of course she doesn’t know. The Hood is, like, Public Enemy Number One at the SCPD and if she knew, she might have to turn you in. Which would really be a relationship killer, I think.” She licked her lips and let out a breath. “That’s got to be hard.”

“Not really,” he admitted. “My family doesn’t know and I never planned on telling Tommy. It’s easier if the circle is small. Keeping my identity secret is what keeps the people I love safe. None of the people I’m going after know who I am so they don’t know about my mother and sister. Or Tommy, John’s family … you. The fewer people who know, the better.”

Felicity nodded and pursed her lips. “I don’t know if I agree with that thought but it’s your show. I just … I’m going to move on because I’m sure we have plenty of time to argue about that.” Oliver’s lips ticked up and Felicity shook her head quickly. “Not that I’m saying yes yet. Or at all. I don’t know. I want to talk to Tommy before I make any decision. But, I mean … _anyway_. Moving on. How do you pick your targets?”

Oliver sighed and put down the burger he was about to take a bite from. It was obvious that he was uncomfortable talking about it but it was one of the things he absolutely _had_ to answer or she was going to turn him down flat. “That’s – well. Okay, to answer that, I need to tell you a little more about what happened before the island.” She furrowed her brow but nodded. He started by telling her about the yacht and how Sara was sucked out the hole. She swallowed and looked away but didn’t stop him. He continued, telling her how he, one of the crew and his father made it to a life raft. Before she could question him, he told her about a notebook and his father telling him that he had to right his wrongs and save the city. Then he told her he watched his father murder the other survivor then kill himself. It all sent Felicity’s head spinning but the honesty in Oliver’s eyes told her he was telling the truth. “The book is in my case,” he said, nodding towards a weathered case several feet away. “It was his list. They’re dangerous people and need to be stopped but they’re also …”

“Starling royalty and the cops are in their pockets so nothing would be done if you went to them,” she finished for him. Felicity took a breath and then took a bite of her burger, chewing and thinking of where she wanted to direct the conversation to next. “Did – does the book tell you what they did? Why your father wanted them stopped?”

“No,” he answered. “I mean, I’ve looked into them the best I could but … I missed a lot when it comes to technology and Digg’s not much better. It’s one of the reasons I want you. To help,” he clarified. “To help me.”

It loosened some of the tension she was carrying around to hear him talk about his reasons. And to admit, again, that he needed help. He needed _her_ help. And hearing that he tried to figure things out before confronting his enemies made her think that there was a healthy portion of his humanity in tact. He’d spent years on an island having to survive; she was pretty sure the _kill_ instinct didn’t just cease to exist when he felt threatened. But still … “Do you _have_ to kill them?”

Oliver was silent and she could tell that he was thinking about his mission and thinking about his actions. He wasn’t just shooting off answers and he wasn’t just saying what he thought she wanted to hear. It made her hopeful that he would be willing to change his methods if he had the information he needed before carrying out his missions. “Right now, yes,” he told her. “Well, no. That’s not entirely true. But if I didn’t, they wouldn’t stay in jail for long. Every one of them can post bail and then they’d be right back destroying the city. With the resources I have, I don’t have any other choice.”

Felicity didn’t know why but she didn’t feel like he was trying to guilt her into joining and she didn’t feel the guilt she thought she would at his words. He was doing his best and he was willing to try alternative methods. It was all she could do to not agree to help right then and there. His eyes were on her, though, and so hopeful that she couldn’t leave him with nothing. “ _If_ I sign on,” she started, holding her hand up as he opened his mouth. “ _If_ I sign on, I need your word that you will explore every available avenue before killing someone. I mean it. First unnecessary death while I’m on the team, if that happens, and I walk.”

Swallowing, Oliver nodded but she knew it was to himself and not in response to her condition. He chewed the last bite of his burger and took a drink from his milkshake before looking back up at her. “Unless it’s a case of self defense,” he stipulated. “I’ll try everything else unless they have the means and try to kill me first.”

It was a reasonable request and Felicity found herself nodding. Her heart was racing as she finished the last of her meal and turned to look around Oliver’s headquarters. The temperature was low enough that they would be able to get a better network and a good-sized server down there. “You also need to let me update your system,” she informed him, standing and tossing out her trash. “On your dime. My salary won’t cover _one_ of the upgrades I see in your future. If I sign on, that is.”

Oliver nodded again and she smiled, walking closer to him. “I need to go talk to Tommy. Will you be here for a while?”

Oliver glanced over at his suit and then turned back to her. “I was going to go out and do some recon.”

“Not without someone here to make sure you don’t get killed. And it’s obvious John’s got other plans.” She slid her purse over her shoulder and squared herself to face him. “I’m going to talk to Tommy. Once I make a decision, I’m going to come back down here. If you’re here, you get my answer. If you’re not, it’s an automatic no.”

He frowned and narrowed his eyes at her. “Now wait a minute. Just who do you think …?”

“Those are my conditions, Oliver. You came to me and I appreciate it but I’m not going to let you control me. I’ll be back after I talk to Tommy. If you have any hope of me helping you, I suggest you don’t go out.” She held eye contact with him for a long minute and she half expected him to get mad at her and snap but instead, he growled and walked back towards some kind of metal contraption for pull-ups. “I’ll be back.”

“Just go,” he barked out, clearly frustrated. She couldn’t see him very well but heard the clang of a bar so she rolled her eyes and headed up the stairs. She paused at the top to quickly reprogram the lock so she could get back down and then continued on to the bar. Ella told her Tommy was up in his office so she thanked the woman and headed upstairs.

She knocked twice then walked into the office, smiling as Tommy lifted his head from whatever he was going over. “Hey,” she smiled. “How’s your night going?”

His eyes narrowed as he looked her over but he relaxed after a few seconds, an easy smile forming. “Good. Busy down there, which is always good. How about yours? Did you … were you talking to Ollie?”

Felicity set her purse down before nodding and sitting on the edge of her fiancé’s desk. “Yeah. It was … it was a good talk.”

“Good for him or good for me?” Tommy asked as he set down his papers and gave her his full attention. When she didn’t say anything, he sighed. “You want to help him, don’t you?”

“Yes,” she answered honestly. “He – we talked and it was a good talk and … and I think I can help him. And I think with my help, he won’t … he won’t be killing as many people. Or anyone,” she quickly added. “I really think things could be different if I helped him.”

Tommy heaved another sigh and hung his head. She knew this wasn’t what he was hoping for and she felt a pang of guilt over it. He wouldn’t stop her if she said she wanted to join Oliver’s crusade and help him, and he’d already promised it wasn’t going to result in him breaking it off with her. She had to make sure though. “Did your answer before … are you still … I …” she stuttered and hated herself for it. “What I mean to ask is … this, if I say yes, it’s not going to end us, is it?”

“Would you turn him down if it would?” he asked softly, his blue eyes meeting hers.

She clenched her jaw and didn’t answer right away even though there was no question. Frankly, she wanted to be mad at him for even asking it. “I would,” she told him quietly. “But I’m really hoping I don’t have to do that.”

Tommy was quiet again and she felt her heart sink. She didn’t want to worry about him having changed his mind but she couldn’t stop it from slinking into her brain. Thankfully Tommy put her out of her misery before she could get too terrified. “You don’t. I wouldn’t … if this is something you really want to do, I’ll support you. Until something changes I don’t support _him_ ,” he stressed, “but I do support both you and your decision.”

Felicity couldn’t help but smile widely. Her future husband was so incredible that she didn’t know how in the world she’d gotten so lucky. “Thank you,” she said before getting off the desk and leaning down to kiss him softly. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” he murmured. “How long can you stay?”

She grinned, knowing what he was suggesting without even needed to see the grin. “I need to go give Oliver my answer and you need to finish that inventory check,” she told him as she pointed to his desk. “But once I’m done downstairs I’ll come up and we can head home.”

“I’ll see you soon then,” he said with a breath, turning back towards his work. “Ugh. You’d better get out of here before I decide I need my fiancée to distract me from this _horrible_ work. And tell Ollie I kind of hate him for making me do all the heavy lifting at this place.”

Felicity laughed and kissed him on the cheek before heading for the door. “I’ll let him know,” she promised before leaving him to his work. She made her way back downstairs and she smiled widely when Oliver shot up from his seat and looked at her with wide eyes. “Hey.”

“Hey,” he breathed out. “You – uh – you weren’t gone for very long. Did – were you able to talk to Tommy?”

Deciding she wanted to have a little fun with him, she hummed in agreement. She kept her eyes away from him for a few long beats before she looked over to see him as tense as she’d ever seen. Internally deflating since she wasn’t mean enough to keep it up. “I was. It didn’t take too long because I’d pretty much already made my decision before I went up there.”

“Oh?” he asked, his voice clipped and tight. “And that decision was?”

Felicity made her way over to him and placed a hand on his arm. “I’m in.”

“You – you’re in?” She nodded and actually felt him relax. “Thank you. Are you ready to get started?”

Laughing a little, she shook her head. “Tomorrow. Tonight, we’re going up to your club, having a drink and then you’re going to go help Tommy with the inventory. Or at least go up and spend time with him. Maybe tell him a little bit of what we talked about. Like the fact that you’re willing to explore alternatives to ending lives.”

“Think it’ll help?”

“I think that it won’t get any better if you don’t.”

Nodding, Oliver blew out a breath and nodded to the stairs. “After you.”

Grinning, Felicity linked her arm through his before heading towards the stairs. As crazy as it was, she was actually looking forward to finding a way to help Oliver. Starling was her home, her city, and she wanted to save it just like Oliver did.


End file.
